Sandy Cijntje has 34 years old and for the first time is part of Executive Committee of SEBI, she is an administration worker on a Construction Company in Curazao. Recently she represented your region on the Construction Workers Conference in United States, Sacramento, California.
This interview is about her union work, interests on worker from Construction sector in the Caribbean and the equality of men and women in the Executive Committee of SEBI.

Q: What kind of contributions is giving you to the SEBI by on the new executive committee?
R: I am a person who firmly opposes injustice, unfair treatment and especially when it comes to woman discrimination. So know that I am a board member of the SEBI I can in a more meaningful way fight against the above mentioned. I think that it is very important to give the members information so that they are better informed, prepared, and can support the union better. I am also good at mobilizing members for action.
I know I will be from edit value to my union.

Q: Briefly tell us about your unionist background in Curacao.
R: I am very new in the trade union. After being a shop steward for some time, last September I was elected as a board member.


Q: Which aspects can be taken to enable women increased their representation in the organizational structures of trade unions?
R: I can use my Union as an example. SEBI’s board consists for 50% of female members. This is why we as the female board members have a meaningful and a very important role in the decision making level. In addition, we made sure that in the collective labour agreement they included the basic needs of women like for example pregnancy/maternity leave.


Q: What you believe are the interests of workers in the construction sector in the Caribbean region?
R: To have the opportunity to learn a profession and by this get a better job and better working conditions;
They do not have problems with migrant workers. But they believe in a 80/20% work situation, so that the job opportunities are filled firstly by the local job-applicants, but migrant workers need to be treated fairly, equal work equal pay;
Construction workers in Latin America, Curaçao and other Caribbean islands do not like to be for example a carpenter a bricklayer because of the temperature that is very hot. In some Caribbean Islands the wages are not sufficient;
The employer has to make sure that the workers.